Aspartame Studies
Aspartame (Nutrasweet)
Aspartame, brand name Nutrasweet, has been an artifical sweetner in wide use since 1981. It is a derivative of the essential amino acid, phenylalanine, which is commonly found in most protein sources. It was discovered on accident when a chemist combined phenylalanine with aspartic acid (another amino acid), tasted it and deteremined it was sweet. Aspartame is 160 times sweetner than sucrose, and is commonly found in diet soft drinks and numerous food products. It has no calories, carbs, protein or fat and does not spike insulin levels, as sucrose does - making it safe for diabetic consumption. The only issue with aspartame is with individuals who have a disorder known as "phenylketonuria", which is what the cryptic warning on soda cans refers to.
There are numerous sites on the internet claiming that aspartame is dangerous and can cause a wide variety of ailmens. Everything ranging from heart attacks, brain tumors, cancer, and death is attributed to aspartame, with absolutely no medical data to prove it. There is a ton of misinformation on this chemical. For no good reason, it has been demonized by some individuals who seem to have a vendette against the medical community, the government or chemical companies. I guess someone forgot to tell them about all the antifreeze in their shampoo. Still, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, these people refuse to believe that aspartame is safe. Yet, the myths still persist.
The truth is aspartame is one of the most clinicaly studied chemicals in the world, with an overall excellent safety profile. The ADI (acceptable daily intake) for aspartame is 40mg/kg.
Now on to the studies. Note that these are the most recent studies on the subject. The first two are by Nutrasweet, which some may claim as being bias. However, keep in mind that these are peer reviewed medical studies and there are many more where this came from for individuals who want to take the time to research the facts.
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Aspartame: review of safety.
Butchko HH, Stargel WW, Comer CP, Mayhew DA, Benninger C, Blackburn GL, de Sonneville LM, Geha RS, Hertelendy Z, Koestner A, Leon AS, Liepa GU, McMartin KE, Mendenhall CL, Munro IC, Novotny EJ, Renwick AG, Schiffman SS, Schomer DL, Shaywitz BA, Spiers PA, Tephly TR, Thomas JA, Trefz FK.
Medical and Scientific Affairs, The NutraSweet Company, Mt Prospect, Illinois 60056, USA.
[email protected]
Over 20 years have elapsed since aspartame was approved by regulatory agencies as a sweetener and flavor enhancer. The safety of aspartame and its metabolic constituents was established through extensive toxicology studies in laboratory animals, using much greater doses than people could possibly consume. Its safety was further confirmed through studies in several human subpopulations, including healthy infants, children, adolescents, and adults; obese individuals; diabetics; lactating women; and individuals heterozygous (PKUH) for the genetic disease phenylketonuria (PKU) who have a decreased ability to metabolize the essential amino acid, phenylalanine. Several scientific issues continued to be raised after approval, largely as a concern for theoretical toxicity from its metabolic components--the amino acids, aspartate and phenylalanine, and methanol--even though dietary exposure to these components is much greater than from aspartame. Nonetheless, additional research, including evaluations of possible associations between aspartame and headaches, seizures, behavior, cognition, and mood as well as allergic-type reactions and use by potentially sensitive subpopulations, has continued after approval. These findings are reviewed here. The safety testing of aspartame has gone well beyond that required to evaluate the safety of a food additive.
When all the research on aspartame, including evaluations in both the premarketing and postmarketing periods, is examined as a whole, it is clear that aspartame is safe, and there are no unresolved questions regarding its safety under conditions of intended use.
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Aspartame: scientific evaluation in the postmarketing period.
Butchko HH, Stargel WW.
Medical and Scientific Affairs, The NutraSweet Company, Mt. Prospect, IL 60056, USA.
Prior to marketing, the safety of the high-intensity sweetener aspartame for its intended uses as a sweetener and flavor enhancer was demonstrated by the results of over 100 scientific studies in animals and humans. In the postmarketing period, the safety of aspartame was further evaluated through extensive monitoring of intake, postmarketing surveillance of anecdotal reports of alleged health effects, and additional research to evaluate these anecdotal reports and other scientific issues. The results of the extensive intake evaluation in the United States, which was done over an 8-year period, and the results of studies done in other countries demonstrated intakes which were well below the acceptable daily intakes set by the FDA and regulatory bodies in other countries, as well as the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives. Evaluation of the anecdotal reports of adverse health effects, the first such system for a food additive, revealed that the reported effects were generally mild and also common in the general population and that there was no consistent or unique pattern of symptoms that could be causally linked to consumption of aspartame. Finally, the results of the extensive scientific research done to evaluate these allegations did not show a causal relationship between aspartame and adverse effects.
Thus, the weight of scientific evidence confirms that, even in amounts many times what people typically consume, aspartame is safe for its intended uses as a sweetener and flavor enhancer.
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Aspartame: neuropsychologic and neurophysiologic evaluation of acute and chronic effects.
Spiers PA, Sabounjian L, Reiner A, Myers DK, Wurtman J, Schomer DL.
Clinical Research Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02139, USA.
BACKGROUND: Neurobehavioral symptoms have been reported anecdotally with aspartame. OBJECTIVE: This study sought to determine whether aspartame can disrupt cognitive, neurophysiologic, or behavioral functioning in normal individuals. DESIGN: Forty-eight healthy volunteers completed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study. The first month was aspartame free. Subjects then consumed sodas and capsules with placebo, aspartame, or sucrose for 20 d each. Order was randomized and subjects were assigned to either a high- (45 mg x kg body wt(-1) x d(-1)) or low- (15 mg x kg body wt(-1) x d(-1)) dose aspartame group. Neuropsychologic and laboratory testing was done on day 10 of each treatment period to determine possible acute effects and on day 20 for possible chronic effects. RESULTS: Plasma phenylalanine concentrations increased significantly during aspartame treatment. Neuropsychologic results; adverse experiences; amino acid, insulin, and glucose values; and electroencephalograms were compared by sex and by treatment. No significant differences were found for any dependent measure.
CONCLUSION: Large daily doses of aspartame had no effect on neuropsychologic, neurophysiologic, or behavioral functioning in healthy young adults.
